Meet the site
Orungal was an 8,000-ton, 119 m (390 ft) passenger and cargo steamer built by Alexander Stephen and Sons at Linthouse, Glasgow, in 1923 as the Fezara for Egyptian owners' Mediterranean service. In 1927 she was chartered, renamed Orungal and put on the Australian interstate passenger run by the Australasian United Steam Navigation Company (later the Adelaide Steamship Company), with 240 single-class berths, sailing between Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide and Fremantle for thirteen years. On the night of 20 November 1940, inbound from Sydney with 16 passengers and 1,200 tons of cargo, she ran onto Formby Reef off Barwon Heads in a gale at about 10.30 pm; everyone was landed safely. Salvage attempts were ended on 13 December 1940 when fire, probably from spontaneous combustion in the cargo, swept the ship and the magazine exploded. Whelan the Wrecker bought the rights and over the following years methodically dismantled everything worth taking. What remains is a wide, shallow scatter that is the most accessible large wreck on the Bellarine coast. Two big Scotch boilers stand upright and break the surface at low tide, giving the mark; around them, in 3–10 m across the reef, lie large sections of steel hull plating and framing, masts and booms, deck winches, the propeller shaft and a flywheel, all encrusted and full of life. Sweep, wrasse, zebrafish, magpie perch and leatherjackets school over the plates, crayfish live under them, and seals from the Barwon Bluff area drop in. It is a flat-day dive: the reef is open to Bass Strait and surge is severe in any swell, but on a glassy summer morning it is an easy 10 m dive or an outstanding snorkel with real scale to it. It suits Open Water divers and snorkellers who pick their day, and it is a good shallow second dive for Queenscliff and Barwon Heads boats after the Canberra or the subs. Whelan's salvage and eighty years of storms mean nothing is intact, but the boilers alone are worth the trip.
Research this site before booking Stored site notes may be historical. These questions highlight gaps without turning old instructions into a current dive plan.
SS Orungal is recorded as Wreck in Surf Coast & Great Ocean Road. The listed access is shore or boat. Confirm the actual meeting point, route and permission to visit; a map pin does not establish any of these.
Topics flagged by the stored research
These are questions prompted by the existing notes, not a verified or complete hazard assessment.
- Other water users
- Ask about vessel activity, exclusion areas and the agreed surface arrangements.
- Water movement
- Ask how swell and local exposure affect the proposed entry, exit and route.
Historical access notes exist for this record, but have not been independently verified for current use. Request current directions from the operator or site manager rather than following an old entry description.
Questions, answered
Is SS Orungal suitable for my certification?
The record lists Open Water. That does not establish suitability for every route or day. Share your training, recent experience and equipment needs with the operator and ask about the specific proposed dive.
Can I book SS Orungal through YouDive?
YouDive is an independent research directory. Contact an operator directly to confirm whether it currently runs the trip, the inclusions and the booking terms.
What you might see
Sweep, wrasse, zebrafish, magpie perch, leatherjackets, southern rock lobster, Australian fur seals, sponges, kelp, sea urchins
Location
On Formby Reef off Barwon Bluff (Point Flinders) at Barwon Heads, about 700 m offshore in 10 m, on the Bass Strait side of the Barwon River mouth.
Facilities nearby
Barwon Heads river boat ramp (parking, toilets); Barwon Bluff car park; cafes in Barwon Heads and Ocean Grove; fills at Ocean Grove/Queenscliff dive shops
Before you make plans
Conditions, access and operator schedules can change. This is a location guide, not a dive plan. Ask a local operator about current conditions and suitability for your training and experience.
Sources & further reading
scubadoctor.com.autorquayhistory.comscubadoctor.com.auRecord updated 26 Sept 2026. Source claims are being reviewed.